


we'll be happier than we have

by clovekentwell



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Annabeth Chase is Jewish, Annabeth is Bisexual, Annabeth is Jewish, Annabeth loves Estelle, Bisexual Annabeth, Bisexual Annabeth Chase, Canon Universe, Coming Out, Gen, Hanukkah, ITS MY SPECIALTY, Internalized Anti-Semitism, Internalized Homophobia, Jewish Annabeth, Jewish Character, Jewish Holidays, Jewish Percy, Jewish Percy Jackson, LGBTQ Jewish Character(s), Lots of cute HCs thrown in here, New Rome (Percy Jackson), New Rome University, Percy Jackson is Good Boyfriend, Percy Jackson is Jewish, Percy Jackson is a Good Bro, Percy Jackson is a Good Jewish Boy, Percy is Jewish, Post-Canon, Post-The Tower of Nero (Trials of Apollo), Triggers:, University, Very Minor, Wholesome, its mentioned - Freeform, percabeth, probably overtagged but idc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:40:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28022547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clovekentwell/pseuds/clovekentwell
Summary: annabeth chase comes home from her second year in college for hanukkah and is the best big sister to exist.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Annabeth Chase's Stepmother (Percy Jackson), Annabeth Chase & Matthew Chase, Annabeth Chase's Stepmother/Frederick Chase, Annabeth Chase/Original Character(s), Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 8
Kudos: 61





	we'll be happier than we have

**Author's Note:**

> WHO ELSE CLAPPED JEWISH PERCABETH  
> okay:  
> \- two ideas i had meshed into one, I really hope you enjoy this cute little hanukkah fic! more to come because us jews deserve more Jewish percabeth.  
> \- not another fic named after a marias song…. [stream](https://open.spotify.com/album/12USXSqjhL8yMhajTI8fD8?si=GDou644-QHaXRRE0U2Uv1Q)  
> \- the twins are probably a little bit older than in canon, but idc  
> \- i gave annabeths step mom a name bc i could, there wasn't one in canon, & they're besties  
> \- annabeth is literally the best big sister ever
> 
> that's all! enjoy this lil wholesome hanukkah fic fellow jews and non jews

Annabeth Chase used to hate home.

Every part of it. Even the house she was to move into in San Francisco. Upon seeing it for the first time, she had an unpleasant lump in her throat. Annabeth didn’t like the color of paneling that lined the house in perfect parallel strips of light green. She hated the windows that were always kept clean by her step-mother. She had hated her step-mother too. 

_Hate hate hate._ She sees it and admits it. Annabeth was a broken, hateful girl. She hated the holidays. A time to be with a family… who didn’t want you.

But now, standing in front of the house she used to hate, 19 years old and a sophomore in college, it was easy enough to say that everything had changed.

“Hey, honey,” her step-mother greeted at the opened door, wrapping her in a hug that Annabeth returned with her free hand. “Hey, Lina.”

“Did you have a good flight?”

Annabeth rested her head on her shoulder and sighed. “Long, but it went well.”  
“Let me take this for you.” She pulled away as Lina hauled her suitcase off the ground and into the house she had grown to love. Annabeth ran a hand through her hair that was barely shoulder-length after she had cut it a while ago, marveling at how different the place looked, yet comfortably the same. She hadn’t been here since the end of freshman year in June, before she went to Camp for the summer and before she and Percy left mid-August for their year abroad in Italy. Since it was so far away, Annabeth chose the winter holidays to come home for and would be spending Christmas with Percy up in New York after spending Hanukkah with their respective families on opposite coasts. It was the perfect plan to spend some time together while pacing themselves for the return to the tiny apartment they shared in Rome.

She kicked off her shoes by the door, walked through an archway to the living area. Flopping onto the sofa, she looked to the cushion by her head, where a jersey lay folded in half.

“Did one of the boys pick up a sport?” she called as her stepmother brought in a glass of water and marshmallow fluff sandwich, Annabeth’s favorite since she was a little girl. Back then, it was all she could reach in the kitchen to make for herself. Now, she felt no guilt in taking a step back and letting others help her out when they were able to, and when she was fatigued with jetlag.

“Bobby’s doing lacrosse,” she nodded with a small grimace. “Very dirty sport.”

Annabeth laughed and folded her hands behind her head. “I can imagine.”

“As for Matthew, I can tell he wants to join the soccer team, but he’s a little nervous.”

“Oh! When do they get back from school?”

Lina checked her thin wristwatch. “Any minute now.”

“That bus never arrived on time,” Annabeth mused, taking a bite from the sandwich. “But that’s good news. I’m surprised he’s not a total soccer jock. Matthew used to beg me to kick around the ball outside with him, and he was much better than me.” If there was one thing being a half-blood didn’t teach you, it was how to control a ball at your feet.

“I’m sure he’ll enjoy his sister being home. Matt has been acting a little… I don’t know what you want to call it. Just distant,” Lina said, tilting her head with a worried look. “School troubles, I think.”

Annabeth crossed one leg over the other and tapped her head. “I’ve been through it. Don’t worry, though. I’ll talk some sense into him.”

At that moment, she felt a vibration coming from the seat of the sofa. She pulled her phone from the back of her jean pocket, the one used only for emergencies and the usual check-in, which she wasn’t surprised to see.

**_percy <3: did you land your flight? everything okay?_ **

With one hand, she typed back a response.

**_me: landed this morning. doing great but tired as hell. how was yours? i suppose since you’re texting me zeus hasnt knocked you out of the sky. how’s the family?_ **

**_percy <3: yes i’ve made it through the day :D. estelle is cute but a menace. mom sends hugs. paul and my rabbi are now best friends and we’re going over to the temple for tonight_ **

**_me: fun fun i love you all don’t forget the package_ **

**_percy <3: the eight pre wrapped gifts for my little sister? how could i forget._ **

**_me: give her the ones with the star of david wrapping paper first its rly cute :)_ **

**_percy <3: i take it back. you’re the menace._ **

**_me: mwah_ **

Annabeth slipped her phone back into her pocket. The sound of the wind blowing through the open door and bustling feet broke through her consciousness as her twin brothers entered the house, almost as loud as she last remembered them to be. They started right for the kitchen, dropping their school bags at the door.

“You didn’t even see who’s here, guys,” a voice from the doorway called. 

Annabeth leapt up from the couch. “Dad!”

“Annabeth, hey hon.”

“Oh, hey, Annabeth!”

Annabeth groaned dramatically and made a face as the twins suffocated her in a hug. They were about fourteen now, taller and with older looking faces, but she was glad they weren’t acting too cool for their own sister. She ruffled their dark brown hair as her dad hugged her tightly, her stepmother too. They were together and it was perfect. What mattered outside this moment? Annabeth was like a snowglobe woman with everything the holidays were all about surrounding her like snow falling from the infinite sky.

* * *

The afternoon of the second day of Hanukkah, Annabeth was helping Lina cut potatoes in the kitchen, while the challah they had just braided turned golden brown in the oven. Her heart was racing from a close call with the food processor and her fingers when the doorbell rang. She wiped her starchy hands on the nearest dishrag, walked to the door, and opened it, where a boy about the twins’ age stood on the porch with a soccer ball in his hands.

“Hi,” he said, breathless like he had just run all the way over. “Where’s Matthew?”

“Oh, um, he’s probably upstairs? And you are?”

There was a thudding noise from the stairs as Annabeth’s brother came nearly flying down the steps and tripping on his untied shoelaces. She frowned. He’d surely get snow in those, rather than if he wore proper winter boots. And he wasn’t even wearing a suitable jacket, just a short-sleeved shirt. Matthew squeezed by Annabeth to stand in the doorway, facing the other boy. 

“Hey,” he said, who Annabeth now realized must be his friend and probably classmate.

“Hey,” Matthew said back, his face lit up like a menorah, though Annabeth could tell he was trying as hard as he was able to hide it.

“Okay.” Matthew turned to Annabeth like he just remembered she was standing there. “We’re gonna go biking to the park.”

“To do what?”

“We’re gonna play soccer,” the boy said, grinning as he held up the black and white ball in his hands.

“Okay, do you have your helmets?”

“Bye, Annabeth,” Matthew said, shutting the door before she could protest. Annabeth stood in front of the closed door, blinking with a slightly open mouth. She went to the living room and peered out the window from the couch. She watched the two boys laughing as they mounted their bikes and sped off down the road towards the park, neither of them with a helmet on their heads.

“I bought him that eighty dollar helmet for him never to use it,” Lina complained.

But that wasn’t really what Annabeth was worried about. She crossed her arms thinking about what her step-mother had said yesterday. 

_“Matt has been acting a little… I don’t know what you want to call it. Just distant.”_

She watched their bikes turn into mere specks that glinted in the afternoon sun.

  
  


* * *

  
  


“It’s Friday night, Matt.”

Annabeth flopped at the foot of the couch where Matthew was lying under heavy quilts made of colorful squares that she couldn’t make out in only the light of the menorah and the glow of the television in their living room. It was only 6 or so, but the nights were already getting longer and darker. Annabeth had her own unique experiences with the darkness. It wasn’t something you want to be wrapped around you like a blanket. Even just the sight of the evening air was making her oddly tired, and apparently, she wasn’t the only one. “Don’t you wanna be out and about while the weather’s still decent? Instead of bingeing Brooklyn Nine-Nine?”

“It’s a good show.”

“I know, bub, I watched it on my flight here. And it’s also a _good winter night._ ”

“Your flight from Rome.”

 _So much for staying on topic._ “From Rome,” Annabeth confirmed.

“With Percy.”

“With Percy. Except he got off at LaGuardia.”

Matthew curled the blankets closer to his chest. “Percy’s nice. I think I remember him.”

“Yeah,” Annabeth sighed, biting back a smile. “It was fun just being kids, me and him. In a way, we still are. You gotta find that feeling and hold on to it, kiddo.”

“I didn’t ask for life advice.”

“You should go out, Matty. Find some joy.”

“Ew.”

“Not ‘ew’. Just have a good time with a friend. Where’s Bobby?”

“He’s at the soccer game.”

“When did it start?”

“I dunno,” Matthew said. Then he said, “Twelve minutes ago.”

“Go, loser! I’ll catch you up on the show when you come back.”

“No.” He picked at his cuticles. “It’s dark out and I don’t wanna explain that I was doing Hanukkah shit.”

“But you weren’t doing anything related to Hanukkah in the last twelve minutes. You were watching TV.” Annabeth clicked the remote twice to turn down the blaring of the theme song.

“Exactly. It’s my alibi. So I’ll have to talk about Hanukkah shit,” Matthew replied, turning the volume up three times.

“Hey. I’m sure your friends would love to hear about “Hanukkah shit” and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

_“Annabeth.”_

“Is your friend gonna be there? Does he play on the team?”

“What does he have to do with anything?” Matthew asked haughtily. Annabeth could sense the defense he was putting up by the tone of his voice.

“Nothing, nothing,” she said, her voice quiet. “You two just seemed to get along pretty well.”

“Yeah, well he invited me and some of his other friends to his soccer game.”

“And you still don’t wanna go?”

“I don’t get along with them very well. The rest of his friends, I mean.”

Annabeth’s face fell. “Even your brother?”

“He’s just different.”

“What do you mean different?”

But Annabeth got the impression he wouldn’t be answering any more questions.

She knew the sound of the situation; bullying. The most likely form of isolation a kid could get. It was puzzling to her. Matthew was a sweet, funny, good-looking kid, one she would expect to be popular in school, not lonely nights hanging out with his sister and television detectives. Was this what Lina meant? Was he isolating himself from everyone because of his isolation at school?

She pulled out her phone and opened iMessages, but the person she was about to text beat her to the punch.

**_percy <3: [Attached Image: Estelle in the Hanukkah sweater Annabeth bought her]_ **

**_me: SHES SO PRECIOUS WOW_ **

**_percy <3: it wasn’t so precious when she threw up on me_ **

**_me: …_ **

**_percy <3: yeah. how are the twins? better i hope_ **

**_me: sighs heavily_ **

**_percy <3: oh no_ **

**_me: i think kids at school are being dicks to matthew_ **

**_percy <3: have you talked to him about it?_ **

**_me: yeah, kind of, but he’s not really opening up. I dunno. he's being antisocial._ **

**_percy <3: i can imagine. _ **

**_percy <3: don’t worry annabeth. if anyone can get through to him, you’re the girl. _ **

**_percy <3: and if anyone can grind those motherfuckers to sand, you can._ **

**_me: PERCY._ **

**_percy <3: ANNABETH._ **

**_me: i love you._ **

She ran a hand over her little brother’s hair as his eyelids drooped slightly, and slightly more, until she realized he had fallen asleep.

**_percy <3: i love you too._ **

  
  


* * *

The seventh night of Hanukkah, after days of potato latkes, visits to the local synagogue, and updates from Percy and his family, Annabeth lay tucked under her covers in her room, reading a novel about a—you guessed it— architect. She was slightly startled by the creak of the door and was surprised to see Matthew’s face in the dim light of her bedside lamp.

She bookmarked her page and sat up slightly. “Hey.” 

Matthew hadn’t mentioned anything about school, soccer, or anything other than casual talk since the second night of her arrival. She wondered if maybe he was here to ask her for some profound sisterly advice. 

Matthew sat at the foot of her bed, fidgeting with the collar of his sweater, staring at Annabeth’s bedside table. “What are you reading?”

“The book Lina got me last night. _Where’d you go, Bernadette?”_ Annabeth told him. “Why?”

“What’s it about?”

“I didn’t know you were so interested in my literary life,” Annabeth said, a hint of good-hearted teasing in her voice.

Matthew narrowed his eyes at her. “Just asking.”

“What are you really here for, bub?”

A look full of nerves washed over his face. “Nothing.”

“You regret coming in here. No. Don’t go.”

“I wasn’t gonna leave!” But his body was pointed towards the door. 

“You know I’ve heard some of Percy’s lectures in psychology talk about body language when working with troublesome children such as yourself, part of the course apparently. And so—”

“I don’t wanna hear about college stuff. That’s boring.”

“Then tell me why you’re here!”

Matthew scowled at Annabeth. “Fine!” He wiped his hands on his pants like his palms were sweating. “Okay,” his voice dropped to a quieter tone. “So, like, speaking of Percy, you know how, like… uh, last spring you broke up for like two months and you dated that other person? That… girl?”

“Jenna? Yes, I remember that well.”

“Okay, um, well, like how did you… uh, how, like, did you know that you liked other girls?” 

Annabeth bit back a smile and made a thoughtful face. “Well, let’s see, I knew since I was little that girls were pretty and that if they caught my attention and were nice, and funny, and a cool person, that I’d probably like them, and if they asked me on a date or something, I’d say yes.” She watched Matthew pick at a loose thread on her comforter. “Why?”

“Oh, uh, no reason.”

Annabeth nodded. “Cool.” Folding her hands on her lap, she watched him for a moment more. After a minute of grueling back and forth eye contact, Matthew burst out, “FineIthinkIlikeboys!”

Annabeth sat up. “Matthew. I’m so proud of you!”

“Why?”

“Because that’s great! I love you!” She put her hand on his shoulder, her face as serious as a sculpture. “Hold on, you said kids weren’t being nice to you at school. Were they bullying you for that?”

“No. I… I lied. They never were making fun of me. But they would’ve! That’s why I don’t talk to them. Other people would too!”

“No, bub, we’re not gonna judge you!”

Matthew’s face was red. “I know _you_ won’t, that’s why I told you. But don’t tell anyone. Please.”

“I would never. You get to decide when and where and how you get to tell people.” Matthew stared at her for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug that Annabeth knew— the type that was needed and much overdue. 

Annabeth stroked his hair for a few silent minutes before whispering, “So is that who your little friend is?” 

Matthew looked up and stared daggers at her. “What? No.”

He buried his face back into her shoulder but she caught the quirk in his lips. “You like him! Look who has a crush!” she whisper-shouted, flopping back onto the bed, tackling Matthew in a headlock. “‘L,’” she sang, swaying side to side, “‘is for the way you-’”

“I’m gonna kill you.”

“Nice try, kiddo, I’m the one with a knife in my suitcase. ‘Is for the way you-’”

Matthew looked absolutely horrified. “Annabeth!”

“Tell me about your boyfriend. ‘-the way you look, at me! O, is for the only-’”

She heard Matthew heave a sigh. “His name is Ari,” he mumbled, most likely to only put a stop to Annabeth’s singing. “And he’s not my-”

“Ari!” Annabeth exclaimed like the name was the best gift she’d gotten all Hanukkah. “What do we like about Ari?”  
“I’m not talking to my sister about this. I don’t even really like him.”

“Please, Matthew. Your head looks like it’s about to burst off your neck whenever you’re around him, you’re so happy.”

“Oh no.”

“It is adorable! And he’s totally in love with you.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No!”

“He totally is bub. I’m old. I know a lot about love.”

“That’s a total lie, you’re still a teenager.”

“Perhaps. But I’m still wise when it comes to romantic situations. And no getting yourself killed to impress soccer boys. I’ve been there before.” Annabeth reminisced for the shortest moment. “Ari likes you for _you_ ,” she poked him in the stomach, “so you have to wear a helmet and proper shoes from now on.”

“That was your agenda the whole time?”

“Yes.”

He heaved a sigh. “Okay. I will tomorrow.”

Annabeth watched him purse his lips carefully as if trying not to smile. He noticed her looking. His expression morphed into teenage annoyance. “What?”

“Nothing,” Annabeth replied, though she was internally celebrating a victory. He was going to his friend's soccer game! That’s what it was, wasn’t it? Ari had invited him before. _I will tomorrow._ And judging by the failed serious look on his face, Matthew would be at that soccer game. 

And so Annabeth spent the rest of the night talking with her little brother about everything and anything that he hadn’t told her in the time filled with awkwardness, the one she knew well. They had a lot to catch up on.

Yes, Annabeth Chase used to hate home. But in this moment, she can’t imagine another place she’d rather be.

**Author's Note:**

> happy hanukkah!


End file.
